In the New Testament, the term breaking bread means more than just sharing a meal. Breaking bread refers to a spiritual gathering in which believers share a meal, eat the Lord’s Supper, and share the word of God with each other. Basically, in the New Testament, the term breaking bread means having a church meeting.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Breaking bread for the early Christians was not just eating together. Breaking bread was a spiritual gathering that followed the example of the Last Supper of Jesus. During the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples shared a meal, partook of bread and wine/juice which represented the body and blood of Jesus, and received teaching from God. In the same way, when the early church met together to break bread they shared a meal, partook of the Lord’s Supper, and ate spiritual food as the word of God was shared among them. In short, they had a church meeting.
Acts 2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart
The early church broke bread together every day in their homes. This means they had daily church meetings in their homes – they shared a meal, ate the Lord’s Supper together, and shared the word of God. The early church met in homes because they met in house churches, and many early Christians lived together in house church communities.
Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
In Troas, the early Christians met for church on the first day of the week. The term break bread is used to say they had a church meeting on Sundays. Even if they met every day in individual house churches as they did in Jerusalem, there was probably a larger meeting for multiple house churches on Sundays. During this Sunday church meeting they shared a meal, ate the Lord’s Supper, and shared God’s word.
1 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
To keep the feast means to partake of Christ the Passover lamb with other believers. We partake of Christ particularly during the church meeting as we share a meal, share the Lord’s Supper, and partake of the word of God. Our church meetings are to be characterized by sincerity and truth, holiness, without malice or wickedness.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
The Lord’s Supper is communion of the body of Christ. It is a time when Christians have fellowship together and share the word of God. The Lord’s Supper is more than just partaking of Christ in heaven, but it is also a partaking of Christ in each other. The Lord’s Supper provides the backdrop for the church meeting, in which believers operate their spiritual gifts and partake of Christ in each other.
1 Corinthians 11:18-20 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.
Paul rebukes the Corinthians for coming together in a way that they are not able to eat the Lord’s Supper. If they could not eat the Lord’s Supper, they could not have church, for the Lord’s Supper was one of the main purposes they came together as a church. This passage also emphasizes the importance of combining the Lord’s Supper together with a regular meal. If people cannot eat together properly, then they cannot have church together properly.
Can I take the Lord’s Supper by myself?
The Lord’s Supper is something that is to be done with other believers during a church meeting. There may be difficult circumstances when it is absolutely impossible for a Christian to meet with other believers for a long time. If so, then it is probably fine to partake of the Lord’s Supper by oneself.
Can I take the Lord’s Supper with my family?
A family is not a church. A husband and wife are not a church. When they have children the family does not become a church. The husband and wife are connected primarily as spouses, and their first responsibilities are to each other and to their own children. These family relationships are different from and in some ways supercede their relationships with other Christians in the church. Children must take care of their own parents and grandparents before they take care of other old people in the church. A person must provide for his own family first before he provides for other Christians. Children must honor and obey their own parents before obeying other people. Wives submit to their husbands, not to other men. Husbands love their wives, not other women. These responsibilities are unique in the family and take precedent over other relationships in the church. Family relationships supersede church relationships because they entail special responsibilities that must be fulfilled first. The family is joined together because of natural relationships rather than spiritual relationships.
In the church, people are joined together because of Christ, not because of family relationships. Church is when people gather together in the name of Jesus and are in relationship as children of God. For there to be a church, a family must meet together with other Christians.
If a family is absolutely unable to meet with other Christians for a long time, then it may be permissible for them to partake of the Lord’s Supper together.
Can a group of believers take the Lord’s Supper at any time?
The Lord’s Supper is to be partaken during a church meeting. Not every gathering of believers is a church meeting. If a group of believers desires to partake of the Lord’s Supper, then they desire to have a church meeting. That is a good thing. If they decide to have a church meeting, then they should follow the Biblical guidelines for a church meeting found in 1 Corinthians 14 and other places (only 2 or 3 prophets can speak, no tongues without interpretation, women can’t speak or ask questions, etc.). Some important parts of a church meeting are the operation of spiritual gifts, sharing the word of God, praying, singing, and collecting and distributing offerings.
Bethel Cornerstone 